Most motor vehicles are provided with electronic entertainment and information devices that are operated through a common or single user interface area located on the vehicle's dash board. Examples of such electronic devices include a radio receiver for commercial broadcast bands, a CD or DVD player, an MP-3 player, navigation system or a cell phone.
The ability to customize the type of devices that are provided and the functionality of them within a particular vehicle currently resides at the factory where the vehicle is assembled. Retrofitting such entertainment systems typically requires the use of “aftermarket” components and/or bulky antennas that need to be mounted somewhere on the automobile.
Upgrading a factory installation to add or change an electronic device requires extensive disassembly of at least the dashboard. An example of upgrading a factory-installed device would be replacing a “3G” data network access device with a “4G” data network device or adding a navigation system. An apparatus and method that can facilitate an after-sale upgrade or change to a factory-installed entertainment/information system would be an improvement over the prior art.